


Lonely Eyes

by OpenHeart_WickedMind



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Barbecue, Cheesy, I just heard this song and I really wanted to write it okay., Love, M/M, Restaurants, Schmoop, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Sweet, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-04-01 22:16:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4036507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpenHeart_WickedMind/pseuds/OpenHeart_WickedMind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Johnson's BBQ - where the wings are hot and the men are even hotter. </p><p>Sam Wesson is one of the shirtless waiters who work at Johnson's, just a job to get him through law school. He doesn't put much stock into the job until he develops a close relationship with a customer, Dean Smith. </p><p>--<br/>Okay seriously, I don't know how to write a summary for this. It's a schmoopy love fic inspired by a country song. It was too adorable for me not to write.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lonely Eyes

“Oh my god, he’s here! He’s here!”

Sam barely had enough time to hang his coat before Charlie had appeared out of nowhere, grabbing his arm and shouting with excitement.

“Okay…” It took a second for the cogs in his brain to lock into place. Sam felt his heart stop as he looked at the door leading to the dining room.

Dean was here.

“Hey, Wesson, glad you could make it. Hope finals didn’t scramble your brain to the point where you can’t tell the difference between ketchup and BBQ sauce,” Gabriel, the co-owner of Johnson’s BBQ, said as he walked past Sam. He leaned over the prep counter to ensure the staff wasn’t over saturating his famous ‘hot ass’ wings.

“Finals went fine Gabe, thanks for asking.” Sam said. Charlie finally let go but the ‘kid at Christmas’ smile remained on her face.

“You need to get out of school and get your butt into a law firm so we can sue those damn neighbors who keep insisting on parking rust buckets they call cars where where our delivery trucks come in.” Gabriel turned away from them to gave some instructions to a new member of the kitchen staff before giving Sam a devilish grin. “But I hear you’ve got more important things to worry about tonight.”

Sam looked at Charlie who shrugged. “Well you missed the after work get together last week. Shots were had and….I may have told some people.”

“How many people know?”

“Umm…”

Just then the kitchen door slammed open. “Heads up fuckers!” Michael came in unleashing a litany of swears while wiping some barbecue sauce off his naked chest with a napkin.

“Mikey please tell me you aren’t letting the co-eds use you as their personal dipping sauce tray. That’s not exactly up to health and safety standards and my brother would have a fit.” Gabriel said.

“No, dammit. They smeared it on me. They don’t seem to get it - we’re waiters, not strippers.If I was my tips would be way better.”

Gabriel slid an arm around Michael’s shoulders. “You’re entertainers. The girls, and guys to be honest, come to see you beefcakes serve them beef with bare chests.”

Sam laughed, wondering how long it had taken for Gabriel to think of that line.

“Besides,” Gabriel gave Michael a playful shove. “Don’t pretend like you don’t like it.”

“Well one of them did give me their number.”

The “all beef, no cover” motto of Johnson’s BBQ was what brought in most of their clientell. Customers got served Texas style barbecue by shirtless guys that were even hotter than the wings in their hands. The girls had their own outfits too, but their Capri shorts and tank-tops seemed downright Amish compared to the form fitting jeans the guys wore.

Michael noticed Sam and gave a smile that had mischief written all over it.  “Hey there loverboy! Take your shirt off and get out there, you’re man’s waiting.”

“Really Charlie?”

Sam saw red curls bobbing away as Charlie made a hasty retreat towards the server station calling out, “oh, my order’s up.”

He let out a groan as he took his shirt off, hanging it on the coat rack next to Michael's. “Listen guys. I’m not his...we’re not..” Sam stumbled for words as he turned to find Michael and Gabriel looking at him with an expression of mock sympathy. “Guys, he’s not even gay.”

Laughter reverberated throughout the kitchen as the two men nearly fell to the ground. Mike recovered as his orders were called out and sauntered past Sam to the serving station. “Listen buddy for two months that guys butt has been in the same bar stool every time you work. Now are wings are good, but they ain't that good and god knows he’s not here for the shitty beer selection. You do the math.”

“But what about the girl?” Sam leaned up against the wall and looked at Michael as he carefully stacked plates on his serving tray.

Gabriel whistled. “Oh that brunette, oh mamma. She made my wings extra spicy if you know what I mean.”

Sam noticed Gabriel's younger brother and restaurant manager, Castiel, walking out of the office on the far side of the kitchen approaching them with a determined look on his face. Gabriel gave his brother a nod of acknowledgement before turning to Sam. “I bet he just brought the girl to get a second opinion.”

“Speaking of opinions I have Nancy Hathaway from 97.5 FM on the phone and she’s quite upset.” Castle crossed his arms and frowned as he stared his brother down.

“What? Why?” Gabriel crossed his arm, trying to mock his brother’s stance.

“You swore when you were interviewed during the wing competition last week, on the radio... several times.” Cas pointed an accusing finger at his older brother. “While drunk.”

“Yeah well our wings are really fucking good and I can’t help it if the ladies kept pushing beers into my hand.”

“That’s not of consequence now, we have to deal with Nancy before they fine us more money than we can afford to pay. Get into the office.” Castiel turned to walk away and noticed Sam standing by the door. His head tilted to the side slightly. “You’re late for your shift.”

“Cas, it’s finals this week. Remember?”

“Oh, uh.” Cas paused. “How did it go?”

Sam’s posture relaxed for the first time since Charlie had given him the news Dean was here. Castiel had been the one to offer him this job. He’d agreed to be flexible enough with Sam’s hours that he could attend school. Castiel’s social awkwardness aside, Sam really liked the guy and considered him a good friend. “It went well, Cas.”

Castiel hand patted him on the shoulder. “Good. That’s really good to hear. By the way, Charlie told me Dean’s out there waiting for you.”

Sam rolled his eyes and sighed. Jesus Christ Charlie, put it up in neon lights why don’t ya?

“I like him. He seems like a good guy. Excuse me Sam, I have to figure out how to get my brother to apologize without digging us deeper into the hole.”

Sam nodded,”good luck with that.”

“Get to work jolly green, we’re not paying you to sit around and pine in the kitchen. Go get em!” Gabe shouted banging the walk-in freezer for emphasis. Sam’s attention turned back to the dining room and couldn’t help but think of the first time he’d met Dean.

+++

It all started two months ago when Charlie had to go home sick and he’d taken over a few of her tables. One of them had been filled with four particularly rowdy business executives and Dean Wesson. Of course back then, Sam didn’t know the name. All he saw was green eyes clouded by a sadness that broke Sam’s heart. He wasn’t sure why but he made it his mission that night to get those eyes to light up with a smile. Sam stopped by a few times, more than necessary, chatting up the table with no success. Finally the clouds lifted after he mentioned seeing the latest remake of a classic B-horror flick. That was the first time Dean spoke to him. He’d put down his beer, commented that the original was way better, and gave Sam a smile that made his knees go weak. As the party was leaving Dean had lagged behind to introduce himself give Sam a movie recommendation. Sam watched Dean walk out, sure he’d never see him again.  

A week later Sam couldn’t help the goofy smile that spread across his face when he found Mr. B-Horror movie lover himself sitting at a high-top by the bar nursing a beer. Sam struck up conversation by saying he’d watched the movie Dean had recommended last time. They talked about it until Mike had hollered for him across the restaurant. For the rest of Sam’s shift he made it a point to stop by and talk to Dean whenever he had a minute. An hour before closing time Dean said goodnight and walked out with a promise to be back.

Every Thursday from then on Dean was at the bar and he would slide out of the restaurant an hour or so before closing time. They talked the whole time but Sam never got the courage to ask Dean for his number. It seemed too good to be true. Dean was a marketing executive at a big company and dressed like someone straight out of an Gucci ad. He probably had a five year plan that didn’t involve adopting a post-grad whose wardrobe consisted of band t-shirts and flannel. Sam knew he should’ve moved faster but he figured Dean was a slow buildup kind of guy. He’d take it easy and let Dean make the first move, figuring they had plenty of time.

Nothing could’ve prepared Sam to see a pretty brunette cuddled up to Dean at the bar, stealing the fries off his plate. Dean introduced her as Rachel but Sam didn’t stick around to say much more than a polite hello before rushing off to his tables. Thankfully that night they had two twenty first birthday parties so staying away from the happy couple was easy. Before Sam could even figure out how to ask who the heck Rachel was to Dean they were leaving. Sam apologized for being so busy and Rachel smiled at him, inviting him to come to the movies with them sometime. Sam nodded and watched the guy he’d fallen for over the past two months walk out the door with a girl whispering in his ear.

Next Thursday came and Dean wasn’t there. Sam focused on his work, trying not to notice how empty the bar seemed as he wove through the crowd. The week after that rolled around and still no Dean. Sam stood outside on his break, silent tears of frustration falling from his eyes while Charlie hugged him tight. As the weeks past Sam started swapping out duties with Michael to avoid the bar all together.

Despite all of his efforts he ended up kicking himself to sleep every night for even hoping that a guy like Dean could ever be more than a friend. If only he’d gotten the courage to ask for Dean’s number maybe something could’ve happened. They’d just been buddies talking at the bar, nothing else. He had about a dozen other regulars he could say he had the same relationship with. But Sam knew he’d fallen for dusting of freckles and beautiful lips wrapped around the lip of a beer bottle that was Dean Wesson - hard. He knew it was crazy, he barely knew the guy, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were meant to be.

+++

“What are you doing?” Charlie again, a tray full of fries and wings balanced in her right hand as she tapped Sam with her left. He got himself out of the past and into the present with an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders, “I don’t know. I was almost over him and now he’s out there. How do I deal with that?”

“Don’t jump to conclusions. You know people’s lives get busy, maybe he just got busy. But he’s here now. This is a good sign. Go out there, hop over the bar, and kiss that boy.”

“There’s a good chance he won’t like that.”

“I doubt it. I’m all about the ladies and I’d still love a kiss from you.” Charlie gave him a light peck on the cheek before retreating into the dining room.

Charlie’s reassurance was enough to break the cement holding Sam’s feet in place. He took a deep breath and walked towards the kitchen exit. He put on his best smile and pushed open the door. He nearly ran into Michael who was rushing back with an empty tray to get his next order. “Oh so nice of you to join the party Wesson!” The shithead shouted it loud enough so everybody at the bar could hear it - including Dean.

Dean had a bottle of beer in his hand and it looked like he’d been preparing to take a sip before Mike had shouted out Sam’s name. His hand stopped halfway to his mouth, tipping the beer just enough to let some spill out onto the counter in front of him.

The tempest of emotions Sam had been caught in for the past few weeks lost its fury as he watched Dean scramble to mop up the mess. Well, there was no avoiding going over there now.

“Excuse me, ass.” Sam nudged Matt towards the doors.

His sneakers squeaked on the splashes of booze, ice, and whatever else coated the floor behind the bar. He slowed his pace just enough to figure out how to break the silence and hint at the fact he noticed that Dean had been missing. It came to him just as Dean met his eyes.

“You forget where your mouth was while you were away?” Sam took the towel out from behind the bar and nudged Dean’s food out of the way so he could mop up the mess, a good excuse to get up close.

“Apparently…” Dean replied with a smile.

Sam straightened up and realized he hadn’t thought past this point of the conversation. As the silence settled in between the notes of the country song blaring over stereo in the bar it became apparent that neither man had.

“So, how did finals go?” Dean had to raise his voice over the roar of the bar crowd so Sam could hear him.

“How did you - ?”

“Well last time I was here that seemed to be all that was on your mind.”

Sam was lost for words for a moment, happy that Dean had remembered. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t fail anything.”

“You aced everything and you know it. Don’t be such a smug shit about it. Some of us had to bust our asses just to get Bs.” Dean cuffed him on the shoulder.

It felt like nothing had changed. The frayed sections of Sam’s heart wove together again, despite all of the knowledge to the contrary. The elation pushed the question,“Where have you been?” out of his mouth a bit sooner than he’d wanted to broach the subject.

“I uh…” Dean took a bite of the wing in his hand and Sam knew he was buying himself some time.

“Sam, I’m not paying you to flirt with the customers. Get your butt on the floor.”

Sam turned to see Gabriel standing behind him with one eyebrow arched. Panic hit Sam’s gut as he processed what Gabe had just said. “But, I’m supposed to be on bar tonight.”

“I thought I’d straighten my legs out and tend bar tonight.” a martini shaker had appeared in Gabriel’s hand and he was shaking it vigorously eyeing a group of cougars at the bar. “Flirting with the customers is my job. There you go beautiful. That’s on the house.”

A busty blonde took the pink concoction in a martini glass from Gabriel, giving him a wink and a good view of her cleavage.  

Sam turned back to Dean who actually looked a little disappointed. “...wasn’t flirting with…”

“I’ve been away. Mostly on business but I watched the movies you told me about.” Dean said.

Gabe tugged on Sam’s shirt whispering, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Then saying louder. “C’Mon Mr. Mc-Law get out there. Table 12 looks like they could use some more inferno sauce!”

Sam turned to Gabe with a look he hoped conveyed that he was going to throw him headfirst into the dumpster outside after closing. Then he looked at Dean, “Sorry. I gotta get to tables but -”

“- It’s cool. I was just…” Dean leaned to the side, about to take out his wallet out of his jeans pocket.

“No, don’t go.”

Dean looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Which movie did you watch?” Sam bit his lip while pretending to clean the bar to give him a few more minutes.

“All of em.”

“Wesson!” Gabe tugged at his shirt and Sam started to walk backwards out of the bar area smiling. Twenty, he’d had at least twenty movies on that list and Dean had watched every single one. “Really?” He got out of the bar area and jogged over to meet Dean who swiveled around in the bar stool to face him.

“I’m not really sure which was the worst. Zombeavers was pretty crazy, but Ass Zombies? I had to download that, there is nowhere to find that legally on the internet and now I know why. It should be illegal to watch or to make anyone watch. You know I asked you for classic films not films that ended up on the cutting room floor.”

“Hey buddy, can I get some service over here!” A voice behind Sam called out. God damn job, he could probably walk right now but that would totally screw over Charlie and Matt. He couldn’t do that to them. He looked at Dean with determination. Fuck it. I gotta start moving this somewhere. If he isn’t receptive, then we laugh it off, if so then….

Sam stepped closer, putting his hand on Dean’s shoulder. “Stay, your foods and drinks are on me. I swear. I want to hear what you thought about the other films. I’ll have time to talk. I’ll make time.”

Dean looked at Sam’s hand on his shoulder with raised eyebrows. Fuck, okay, casually back out of the situation without messing this up. Sam started to pull back his hand when Dean clumsily grabbed his arm. Sam stared at Dean’s hand on his skin for a second before looking up to see a flush almost covering the freckles across Dean’s cheeks. “I’ll stay. I’ll stay.”

“Amazing, wonderful, gr-” Sam backed into Charlie who was, thankfully, empty handed.

“Woah too-tall, watch it buddy!”

Sam turned around and apologised to Charlie who responded with laughter. She patted him on the shoulder. “That’s okay, I can tell your mind was somewhere else.”

Sam walked towards his section while taking out his notebook. He heard Charlie greeting Dean as he walked away.

+++

Sam made it over to Dean whenever he could during his shift. It turned out Dean’s company had sent him to Germany for a little while.  Apparently they had opened a site in Berlin and Dean had to coordinate with the new overseas executives. He showed Sam some pictures of the local sites on his phone and commented,“The food was okay but the service wasn’t nearly as good.”

That statement kept Sam flying high for the rest of the dinner service even though he had an entire beer spilled on him by a rowdy group of football players who smelled like they were fresh off of practice. He looked over to see Dean with his head thrown back in laughter. Sam mouthed “fuck you” like he would with any of his other friends but Dean’s response, a wicked grin seemed anything but friendly. Sam dared to hope.

An hour before closing time Gabriel loudly announced that Sam had been such a big help that he was going to give him the rest of the night off. He’d been helping Charlie bussing some of her tables. “I’ll finish up with these first,” he assured her.

She swiped a plate out of his hand. “Samuel Wesson, get over there and make your god damn move already. This is worse than Mulder and Scully for crying out loud.”

“Okay. I’ll just go get…”

“Don’t put your shirt on. That’s half the appeal, silly. Get. Over. There.”

Sam looked over Charlie’s shoulder at Dean who was talking with Castiel. Being the pursuer had never been Sam’s forte, the few boyfriends he had ended up asking him out. He still wasn’t entirely sure where to start, the evening seemed to be going well. Dean had stayed and it felt like they were flirting but Sam had been in this spot before. He’d mention going out on a date and the guy would be backpedaling as fast as he could, stammering about his unshakable heterosexuality. But now it was closing time and Dean wouldn’t have an excuse to stay but Sam wanted him to, more than anything else in the world. He walked over to Dean, his hands feeling useless by his side without something to occupy them.

“Maybe letting my brother do the marketing isn’t be the best idea…”  Sam caught Castiel’s last sentence as he walked up to the bar.

“I’m not saying hire my company or anything but putting Gabe in front of a microphone is a recipe for trouble.”

“I don’t know if they could afford you.” Sam joked sliding into the bar stool closest to Dean.

“Yeah, I’m not sure…” Castiel’s’ eyes narrowed as he looked past Sam into the dining room. “Charlie, why are you doing that?”

“Yeah, I need your help over near the corner tables right away.” Charlie called to him. Castiel walked away from the bar but Sam could hear his voice echo through the empty restaurant, “what do you need help with? Ow, you’re hurting my arm. You don’t have to pull that hard.”

Dean glanced at them as he took another sip of beer. “She’s a pistol.”

“You have no idea.”

Their eyes met for a second Sam really didn’t know what to say next besides ask what had been on his mind for the past several weeks. “So, I know you mentioned you were in Germany for two weeks, but where were you after that? Not like it’s any of my business or anything but -”

“  - I was at home. Working some shit out.” Dean turned to the bar. He rested his elbows on the polished surface and got quiet. After a few minutes he muttered “fuck it” before flicking a peanut shell across the bar. He turned to look at Sam. “You know the first night we met? When I was here with the three stooges?”

“Yeah.” How could I forget?

“Well I’d just found out my Dad had died just a few hours before that.”

“What?!” This was the first time Sam had heard about this and suddenly Dean’s thousand-yard stare that night started to make sense.

Dean picked up his beer and took a long pull from the bottle. “I didn’t even know if I wanted to go to the funeral. I mean they guy pulled me across the country a dozen times as a kid moving from place to place. You think that getting to where I am now would’ve made him a little proud of me but naw, he’d rather tuck into a bottle of Jim Beam and talk about the old times on the road. Christ that man was just an obsessed bastard…”

Dean had told him a little about his childhood. His dad had been a bail bondsmen. A profession he’d taught to Dean. But Dean had opted out of the life and went to college instead. From what little Dean had said their relationship sounded strained at best.

“But I guess I turned out just like him. Putting way too much time in at work and just decimating every other relationship in my life. I mean I’m lucky Rachel still talks to me…”

“Rachel, that girl you came here with?” Sam felt his face grow hot as the familiar sadness gnawed away at him.  

“Yeah.” Dean kicked back the rest of the bottle and put it on the counter.

The pause in conversation made Sam feel as empty as the bottle on the bar. Dean had to have a thing going with Rachel. So, that’s it for lovers then. He could get over the heartache of having a crush on a friend. It’s not like it was the first time. Besides something told him Dean belonged in his life.

“I’m sorry about your Dad. Regardless of how things were between you both, that sucks. At least you had someone to help you through it.”

“I didn’t though until…”

“I thought you said Rachel....”

“No. Well, I mean she tries but now with Chad and the kids it’s hard to get away.”

“Wait. Chad? Kids? So she isn’t your girlfriend?” Sam couldn’t hide the childish lilt of hope that had snuck into his voice.

Dean looked taken back. “No, not since college.”

Well, that was it then.They’d dated. So if he wasn’t seeing her he probably was with some other girl. This is okay, I’m okay.  Sam repeated the phrase even now that he felt the familiar pain in his chest warning him that he was a few minutes away from tears. “Oh.”

Sam stood up. “I should probably go and check on Charlie.”

He didn’t wait for Dean to respond. He turned around and started walking to the other side of the restaurant. Sam was two steps onto the polished dance floor when he felt a hand on his arm.

“Sam, wait.” Dean’s voice sounded hesitant. He looked slightly panicked as he moved his hand up to Sam’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. Listen, about Rachel...Fuck, I should’ve explained earlier. I didn’t even think about it. That you would think we were together. I'm shit at this stuff.”

“Wha - “ Sam didn’t get to finish.

“-  But I guess that’s the point. I’m pretty much shit at everything except for the job. When my dad died I realized I’d been ignoring everything that matters. Just making the same mistakes as my old man. I was just sitting there thinking about how I had all this stuff in my life that meant nothing and then you came along and…”

“Me?”

“Yeah.” Dean put his hands inside of his jean pockets. “You were the first thing that made me smile all day.”   

“I wanted to make you smile.”

“Then I found out you were a member of the B-horror movie club and well,” Dean shrugged.

Was he admitting what Sam thought he was? “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“There was a lot going on and well, I didn’t even know if you....”

“I do.” Sam’s hands itched to grab Dean and pull him in but he wanted to let the other man get out what he was trying to say.

Dean smiled and rubbed the back of his head while staring at his shoes. “Yeah, Rachel told me I was stupid not to notice. I freaked. I’m sorry. After Germany I missed you but… It’s been so long since I’ve been with anyone, especially a guy, and I just thought you were too good of a thing to be with a fuck up like me. So I basically had a pity party until Rachel and Chad staged an intervention and, well, here I am.”

Sam stepped forward, sliding his hands around Dean’s waist, slowly pulling him closer. “I’m happy you’re here.”

Dean closed the distance and laughed into Sam’s shirt. “You know I pictured this going a lot smoother in my head.”

Suddenly the jukebox in the corner started to play. Sam recognized the song and laughed. He looked towards the jukebox and sure enough Charlie, Mike, Gabriel, and Castiel were leaning against the wall watching them with smiles on their faces.

“Guys it’s playing your song.” Charlie said bobbing her head up and down in approval.

Sam looked at Dean. “You dance?”

“Badly.”

“Me too. This should work out fine.” Sam started slow dancing like he was back in middle school and Dean moved in time with him.

They were quiet for a moment until a lyric about green eyes played. Dean smirked, “what did Charlie mean by this is ‘your song.’”

“I may have said this song reminded me of you a few times.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Lonely Eyes. I just..it reminded me of when we first met. It’s actually kind of stup-”

Sam didn’t get the chance to finish, Dean’s mouth came up to meet his with a tender kiss. He guessed it didn’t matter since he had a strong feeling neither of them would be lonely anymore.

 

Fin.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, thank you for actually making it through this ridiculously cheesy story. Whenever I hear a song I usually think of an AU scenario in my head to go with it. This one was just too good to let go. 
> 
> Also I remembered the shirtless picture of Jared with the cowboy hat on and....yeah.
> 
> If you wanted to listen to the song this story is named after you can find it here (warning - it's country!) Lonely Eyes by Chris Young - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-PBd9kawWY
> 
> Believe it or not Zombeavers and Ass Zombies are real movies. Google it. I'm not kidding.
> 
> Please excuse any glaring mistakes. I'm doing my own betaing at the moment. :-)


End file.
